The present invention generally relates to cigarette cartons, and more particularly to a multi-pack hinged lid cigarette carton with an open bottom for ease in removing and repackaging the cigarette packs in the carton.
In the past, cigarettes have been sold in packs containing 20 cigarettes. These 20-cigarette packs have been packaged in cartons containing ten-packs, and more recently in five-packs holding five packs stacked in a lateral configuration, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,213, granted Sep. 1, 1992.
Revenue and tariff regulations require the application of revenue stamps on each individual cigarette pack, particularly shortly before the pack is sold to the ultimate consumer. As a consequence of this procedure, the revenue stamps cannot be applied during the initial packaging operation. Instead the retailer must open the carton, affix the revenue stamps to the individual cigarette packs and subsequently reclose the carton.
In other instances, the cigarette carton may include access openings therein adjacent each of the individual cigarette packs, and the revenue stamps are applied to the packs through these access openings. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,147,037 and 5,351,820, granted Sep. 15, 1992, and Oct. 4, 1994, respectively, describe such access openings for the application of revenue stamps without removing the cigarette packs from the carton.
Revenue stamps are generally applied to individual cigarette packs after the initial packaging thereof in five- or ten-pack cartons. These stamps cannot be applied beforehand because the applicable revenue depends on the location of final sale. Hence, it becomes necessary to remove the cigarette packs from the carton in order to apply the revenue stamp. Alternatively, the cigarette carton may include features which enable revenue stamps to be applied to the individual packs without removal thereof from the carton such as access openings in the carton and similar features.